


the way it is

by drainz



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Rivals to Lovers, Slow Burn, frenemies to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29450175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drainz/pseuds/drainz
Summary: At the end of the day, no one gets Juza and Banri except for Juza and Banri. Not because it's that hard. Because nobody else cares.But they can make them. All it'll take is a little acting.
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	the way it is

_ None’a this shit would’a happened if it weren’t for Hyodo’s shitty acting, anyways. _

That’s what Banri’s grumbling internally as he looks through page after page of White Day-themed gourmet chocolates. Hyodo’s Valentine’s present today — it was good. Adorable, actually. Everyone’s reactions were hilarious, too. The only problem with that is that now Banri’s gotta commit to the bit at  _ least  _ as much as him. And, well, he knows himself well enough to know that he can’t just  _ match  _ Hyodo. 

He’s never spent this much money on candy for any girl other than his sister.  _ Hyodo’s  _ probably never spent this much money on candy, like, ever. As Banri scrolls, he’s sort of mentally categorizing what’s to Hyodo’s taste — it’s not like he has to ask if Hyodo likes dark chocolate, that’s a pretty obvious no, and salted caramel’s probably out, too, but the characters for “strawberry buttercream” that keep popping up might as well say his damn name. (It’s this pink, fluffy crap that looks  _ disgusting _ ; Banri doesn’t even mind sweets, and his teeth hurt just looking at it. But Hyodo would love it, Banri can just see his big, stupid grin, and he’ll only have to taste it from kisses, anyway — ugh, this is getting gross.)

_ Stupid shitty actor. _ It’s a little white lie. Well, that part is. This whole thing is still totally Hyodo’s fault, even if in the privacy of his thoughts Banri can admit the reason might have been because his acting was  _ good _ , actually. 

~~

“Believe it or not, he used to be less Rottweiler and more terrier.” Banri gives him a teasing smile, playfully ruffles Hyodo’s hair. “Cute little puppy nippin’ at my heels.”

Hyodo draws in on himself a little, grabs one arm at the elbow and looks down and away at the floor. “Shut it, Ivan,” he says too-gently; he might as well be blushing with the softness in that line.

“Okay, stop.” Banri steps out of his blocking. “What the hell was that?”

“S’the line,” Hyodo says, looking annoyed despite the noncommittal tone.

“I thought it was really good, Juza!” Izumi encourages. “You were trying to show how Doggy’s softer around Ivan than all the other characters, right?”

“…Yeah.” He smiles at her a tiny bit, more the light of his eyes than a move of his mouth, and Banri’s behind the eight ball again with their whole kindred-spirits thing. “‘Cause he’s younger. He looks up t’him.”

“He’s  _ younger _ , not a  _ kid _ .”

“I  _ know  _ that.”

“Whatever. Run it with me again.”

So they do. And then again, and again, and again.

Izumi’s mediating voice pleads _ “Banri,” _ and Azami rolls his eyes, but Banri’s not having this shit right now. Hyodo’s not changing his delivery at all, and he knows it, keeping up that saccharine affectation through the rest of the scene; it’s weird and off-beat and he could at least work with Banri, here, dammit.

“Again.”

“The fuck do you want, Settsu?”

“I want you to get the damn character.”

“Maybe  _ you  _ don’t get the damn character.”

“He’s a grown-ass man who barely talks and carries around a fucking  _ baseball bat _ , I know he doesn’t act like a shy ten-year-old.” 

Banri never notices ‘til the last second they’re this close to each other.

“You jus’ want me t’shut up an’ play a big, scary guy.”

“I want you t’shut up, alright.”

“Why’re you always lookin’ for a fight, Settsu? You really wanna eat shit again that bad?”

“Please. You’re playing pacifist now ‘cause you know I’d fuck you up.”

“Wanna go outside and test that?”

Whatever Banri was gonna say is cut off by Sakyo’s thundering  _ “Hyodo, that is ENOUGH.” _

Practices kind of trickles off, rather than ends, following the lecture; Banri feels like shit for the rest of the day. 

“Settsu.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna get the light. S’late.”

“A’ight.”

Banri lays in the dark in silence for a couple minutes. 

“Hey, Hyodo?”

“I’m asleep.”

Banri scoffs. “Fine.”

“W’s kidding. What?”

“…S’fucked up that Sakyo yelled at you. I’m the one who kept naggin’.”

It’s quiet for a bit. “You were right, though,” he answers quietly. “Doggy’s a sweet guy with a rough shell. Bein’  _ all  _ sweet gets rid of a big part of ‘im.”

Banri blinks. Wow. “— Yeah, exactly.” He coughs. “Wish I would’a said that.”

“S’okay.” Another long pause. “Y’know I wasn’t really gonna hit you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Yeah. …They don’t get us anymore. They all think we’re still…” He trails off.

“Yeah,” Banri agrees. “It’s annoying.”

“Omi and Taichi were even gettin’ ready to pull us apart again. They really think we’re just gonna start throwin’ punches any second all the time.”

“I saw that. Like we’re out of control.”

“Like we’re street thugs.”

Shit. “Hyodo.”

“D’you think they still see us that way?”

“… I dunno.”

“Me either,” he says quietly, then repeats: “They don’t get us anymore.”

“And they don’t even notice they don’t.”

“Yeah.”

Banri sits with that for a long minute. “Maybe we can force them to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy valentine's, have some juban. this is more like a prologue than a real chapter, those will be longer. <\- this is me, committing to a chapter fic. send prayers @neogangster on tumblr


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